Devoted dog. Besotted owner. That continuous loop of loving reinforcement may begin with the dog’s gaze, according to a new report in Science.

Japanese researchers found that dogs who trained a long gaze on their owners had elevated levels of oxytocin, a hormone produced in the brain that is associated with nurturing and attachment, similar to the feel-good feedback that bolsters bonding between parent and child. After receiving those long gazes, the owners’ levels of oxytocin increased, too.

Credit Fred R. Conrad/The New York TimesThe dog’s gaze cues connection and response in the owner, who will reward the dog by gazing, talking and touching, all of which helps solder the two, the researchers said. They suggest that dogs became domesticated in part by adapting to a primary human means of contact: eye-to-eye communication.

And when researchers gave dogs extra oxytocin through a nasal spray, the female dogs (though not the males) gazed at their owners even longer, which in turn boosted the owners’ oxytocin levels.

“What’s unique about this study is that it demonstrates that oxytocin can boost social gaze interaction between two very different species,” said Steve Chang, an assistant professor of psychology and neurobiology at Yale who was not involved in this latest research.

Dr. Chang, who studies oxytocin in animals, noted that through domestication, dogs came to regard humans as their “key social partners,” while humans also came to view dogs as social partners.

“In a way, domesticated dogs could hijack our social circuits, and we can hijack their social circuits,” he said in an email, as each species learned how to raise the other’s oxytocin levels, facilitating connection.

The researchers also tested wolves raised by humans to see whether a wolf-to-owner gaze would raise oxytocin levels in either or both. But compared with dogs, the wolves scarcely gazed at their owners, and the owners’ oxytocin levels barely budged.

Unlike dogs, wolves “tend to use eye contact as a threat” and are inclined to “avoid human eye contact,” wrote Miho Nagasawa, a study author and research fellow at Jichi Medical University.

In an email, Dr. Takefumi Kikusui, a professor in the School of Veterinary Medicine at Azabu University, wrote that he believes that the differences in gaze between dogs and wolves means “that dogs have acquired this superior ability during the evolutionary and domestication process of living with humans.”

Credit Fred R. Conrad/The New York TimesHe continued: “There is a possibility that dogs cleverly and unknowingly utilized a natural system meant for bonding a parent with his or her child.”

In the first experiment, researchers measured oxytocin levels in the urine of 30 owners and dogs before and after they interacted for 30 minutes. The dogs were males and females, spayed, neutered and intact. The breeds included Golden retrievers, standard poodles, miniature Dachshunds, miniature Schnauzers, a Jack Russell Terrier, and two mixed breed. They also measured oxytocin in five wolves and their owners.

The changes in oxytocin were most pronounced in dogs who fixed longer gazes on their owners, which researchers defined as 100 seconds in the first five minutes of the encounter. They saw no significant difference in oxytocin levels among the breeds or sex of the dogs.

In the second experiment, researchers administered nasal sprays of either saline or oxytocin to dogs. This time, each dog entered a room with three humans: its owner and two strangers. But now, only the female dogs who were given the oxytocin displayed an even longer gaze at their owners, who in turn had spikes in their oxytocin levels. Researchers could not say why the sex of the dog mattered. But they speculated that vigilance in male dogs, set off by the presence of the two strangers, may have moderated the effects of oxytocin.

Other experts on canine behavior expressed caution about overstating the implications of this study.

Dr. Alexandra Horowitz, director of the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College, called the study “a fascinating direction of research, because it looks at connections between behavioral measures and hormonal components.” She noted that it raised many intriguing questions: about long and short gazes; why only female dogs reacted to the oxytocin dose; whether other breeds would yield different results. But pointing to the small size of the sample, she added, “I don’t know how it proves the domestication thesis.”And then there is the meaning of a dog’s “gaze.” The human gaze is layered with nuance. Dog owners may ascribe similar complexity to their dog’s gaze, certain that they, like parents, can interpret it. (A view endorsed by this owner of a Havanese, whose eager, soulful gaze is both long and expressive, punctuated by cocking his head, and fluttering his ears forward. Speaks volumes.) “If your dog’s gaze helps you think your dog understands you,” said Dr. Horowitz, “that produces bonding.”

But Evan L. MacLean, co-director of the Duke Canine Cognition Center and a co-author of a commentary accompanying the study, said, “We don’t know what the dog’s gaze means. When you look at a human baby, it feels good. Maybe dogs gaze at you because it feels good. Maybe the dogs are hugging you with their eyes?”

But Dr. MacLean, an evolutionary anthropologist, said that fundamentally, for dogs, human behavior is “the telltale of everything that is about to happen.” Are we going to stand or sit? Leave the room? Bring food?

And so they stare at us, fixedly.

“If I was dropped on Mars,” Dr. MacLean said, “and everyone was speaking a language I didn’t understand, and I knew I could never acquire their language, I’d just give up. But dogs don’t. They’re not reluctant to tune in to us at every moment.”

Before we start, you should know what you should NEVER feed to your dog. These items are:

Onions

garlic

raisins or grapes

caffeine

chocolate

Raw meat

sugary foods

spicy foods

candy

lunch meat

cheese
These items may not have any external affects on your dog initially, but they really make a mess out of their insides. Their liver is affected and could be damaged. Also, avoid salty foods

Here are some food that’s OK to feed to your dog.

fruits

vegetables

nuts

fresh turkey or chicken (without the skin)
Sometimes your vet will even recommend these items in place of traditional dog treats.

Always limit the amount of table food that you give to your dog. The more table scraps that you give him, the more likely that he will become a picky eater and may no longer want his dog food. I would recommend not giving table scraps at all. You may give him some fruits, veggies or nuts once in awhile in place of his treats.

Persons with diabetes have to always be concerned about their blood sugar levels. These levels are tested regularly to ensure that their sugar lever is neither too high or too low. If a diabetic’s blood sugar drops too low especially during the night, the patient may experience a life threatening event.

Believe it or not our best friends can save the lives of their diabetic owners. Dogs have a nose to sense trouble. They can be trained to detect changes in blood levels just by their sense of smell. According to NHS Choices, as the blood sugar levels go up or down this causes changes to the body’s metabolism which can alter how a person’s sweat or breath smells. For example, diabetic ketoacidosis, a complication of type 1 diabetes, can cause a person’s breath to smell like nail varnish.

A dogs amazing sense of smell isn’t only limited to diabetes. Recent studies have shown that dogs can sniff out lung cancer or bowel cancer. Our best friends are truly amazing!

Remember, your pets count!

Listen to our great oldies internet radio station all holiday weekend long. Edgewater Gold Radiois live an local from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware playing a mix of oldies that you won’t hear anywhere else. 50s 60s 70s 80s, rare recordings and popular standards! Take a trip back in time with us! Listen on our website: The Edgewater Internet Radio Network!

Memorial Day in the unofficial start of the Summer season. There will be lots of picnics, cookouts and family gatherings. During this time it’s important that we keep our pets safe.

Here are some tips to keep them safe this holiday weekend.

If they’re outside with you, always have plenty of water available. Dogs have no other way to cool themselves off besides painting,make sure that they are kept in the shade because they cannot pant as effectively as other breeds.

Don’t give them any leftover food and watch out for bones that may fall on the ground. Gristle, fats, and bones that can be found in barbecue should never be given to your dog. Onions, avocado, grapes, alcohol and salt can all be harmful to your pet. Even though your may feel that your pet is not partaking in the goodies, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Make sure that he has the proper ID on your dog. You never know. A guest may leave the gate open or he may get frightened and sneak away.

We hate bugs at our outdoor get together. Citronella candles can be deadly to pets. Any citronella-based repellants are irritating to dogs. Use citronella-free or non-toxic candles if you plan on using a repellant, or keep you pet in a contained area away from them.

I live in an area where it’s not uncommon to see a fox or two roaming through the neighborhood. There are also many cats roaming around at night. I’m always concerned about the foxes attacking and making a dinner out of the feline friends in our community. But, do Foxes eat cats? It’s possible but highly unlikely. A typical foxe’s home territory can be occupied by a 100 cats and most of them are out at night. Foxes and cats cross each others paths many times during the night and they will usually ignore each other. If a fight does break out, the fox is usually the one who comes out in worse shape. So when I turn my corner onto my street at night a see a fox, I no longer worry about the feline friends roaming the neighborhood because they could take care f themselves.

Remember, your pets count!

Check out our great oldies radio station – variety that you won’t find anywhere else. The 50s 60s 70s 80s, rare recordings and standards plus we are live an local from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware! Click EDGEWATER GOLD RADIO and enjoy all day! You can also listen from our website: THE EDGEWATER INTERNET RADIO NETWORK!

Many foods are potentially toxic to dogs. One that is extremely dangerous is bread dough. The mixture contains yeast as a leveling agent and therefore can expand many times its original size. This is exactly what happens when your dog swallows bread dough. As the dough swells in your dogs stomach it starts to ferment producing alcohol which is toxic to your dog. Even ingesting small amounts of bread dough can cause your dog pain, bloating and vomiting. It can also leave him feeling disoriented and listless. Pet medication will not help him feel better. If he’s eaten a lot, he may end up in the operating room requiring surgery to remove the mass. Your dog will also need treatment for alcohol poisoning. If you a bread maker, make sure to keep your dog out of the kitchen while you’re baking!

Remember, your pets count!

Listen to our great oldies internet radio station. Edgewater Gold Radio, live and local from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware plays the largest variety of oldies anywhere! The 50s 60s 70s 80s, rare recordings and standards, mixed together giving you more oldies variety! Listen from our website: The Edgewater Internet Radio Network!

Being an animal lover, I want to make sure our outdoor feline friends that roam or neighborhood have enough to eat. There are two cats that hang around our house and occasionally come on our porch to pay us a visit. I didn’t know if they had a permanent home so I decided to leave them some food at night on the porch. When I checked the bowls in the morning, they were always empty so I figured that the cats were hungry and enjoyed the food that I left. I did notice that the bowl was moved every time.

One night my younger cat Millie was sitting by the door staring out on the porch. I looked but did not see the cats eating their food instead I saw a raccoon on the porch devouring the food that I left..

Unfortunately, I had to stop leaving food outside because who knows who will show up for dinner next!

Pups love to run and play, but it’s important that your pup doesn’t injure himself while having fun. When you play fetch with your dog, try to prevent his body from twisting in the air or landing hard on the ground. You can try rolling a ball instead of throwing a toy in the air. This has less impact on his joints. When you’re taking your dog for long walks or runs, consider his fitness level. Build up his endurance over time. Take it slow at first and wall or run short distances gradually increasing the speed and distance as your dog gets used to this activity. Consider where you take your dog. Avoid gravel or asphalt. Always take along plenty of water and look for signs of fatigue.

I know when you hear the name “Golden doodle,” you’re probably thinking that this is an odd looking dog. Don’t laugh at the sound of the name, it’s a hybrid breed, part Golden Retriever and part Poodle and it’s is a beautiful family friendly dog. In the mid 90’s, the dog was intentionally developed in an attempt to create a light shedding dog that would be good for families with mild allergies. The idea was to create a dog for people who love the personality and look of Golden Retrievers but can’t stand their shedding. Because they’re a hybrid breed, Golden doodles can inherit the fur qualities of the long haired Golden Retriever or the Poodle but most often, their fur has qualities from both breeds. This breed is great around children. So when you get your Golden doodle home, pamper him a bit with lots of treats, toys and maybe even a padded fleece dog bed!

Summer is not too far away and we are already basking in ninety degree heat. Dogs don’t do well in hot weather. Sometimes we’re tempted to leave our dogs at home in a cool air conditioned house but lots of times, this is not practical.

Here are a few things to remember. Dogs build up heat as a function of volume and lose it as a function of surface area. (What’s he trying to say??) This means that larger dogs with rounder bodies have less surface area for their size and build up heat faster. Dogs lose heat through their nasal passages and their tongue. They don’t sweat. Dogs with flat faces are less able to lose heat. The bigger the dog and the flatter their face is, means that they are more prone to over heating. Overweight and older dogs are even at greater risk.

Fur coats does block the suns rays but it also prevents heat from escaping. Don’t shave your dog in an effort to keep him cooler. He will then be more vulnerable to sunburn which will cause more problems.

Don’t exercise your dog when it’s warm and never keep him in a parked car. We spoke about this many times. He could die in a matter of minutes. As the warmer weather approaches, keep these things in mind and have a great summer with your dog. Give him a few dog treats for me!